Hi Graeme,
I had to laugh, i had all the same problems as you did. I feel now that i have graduated to Beginner - apart from seeing Saturn's rings and jupiter's moons i have seen a nebula and a galaxy, plus the coal sack.
The target paper technique will work. I've done it with two telescopes now. Your 130mm diameter EQ is in between the two i have done it on.
So - from one beginner to another:
Forget the finder for the moment.
- Try finding the tree before you find the paper - a fence or wall can be easier. You do this by just looking along the looking along the top and side of the telescope, and aiming it at the paper without looking through it. (Later on you will learn about laser pointers, which make this really easy)
- Use the largest focal length lens you have to start with - possibly this will be 25mm or there abouts. - This is the walk before you run principle.
- The short range focus of your telescope will be when the focuser is furthest out. If you can't focus on a tree or fence when your focuser is all the way out ( or nearly) you are too close. I could do it at about 25m with mine, the length of my back yard.
Once you can focus on the target paper ( made up as per the instructions in the article)
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/index.p...63,477,0,0,1,0 then it will all come together.
Frustrations in those fiddly little thumb screws led me to building the mount for a red dot rifle finder scope.
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/index.p...63,474,0,0,1,0. I've built two now and they work a treat.
Michael
PS - It would be worth your while reading up on Collimation - within this site and googling in the " Real world"